Flower vase



Oct. 16, 1934. w c \MNGER v 1,977,417

' FLOWER VASE Original Filed June 5, 1933 IN VEN TOR.

Patented Oct. 16, 1934 ears; QFFHQE V FLOWER VASE William (J. Winger, Lancaster, Pa

Application June 5, 1933, Serial No. 674,423

' Renewcd May 8, 1934 2- Claims.

Thisv invention relates to flower vases. v

More particularly, the invention relates to a flower. vase suitable for holding cut fiowersin outdoor. situations, such as, on graves and the like. l

, Cut flowers. are frequently placed in vases in such situations and it is more or less common to provide vases for this purpose with prongs on the bottom which may be forced. into the ground or sod sons to prevent such vases from toppling over. It is, of course, desirable to pack such vases in a compact manner so that the package in'which they are shipped may not be too bulky. For this purpose the prongs for such vases have been made so that they may be detached but the arrangement for holding such detachable prongs onto the vase has heretofore been more or less inefiicient.

One important object of the present invention is to provide a novel form of vase with a detachable prong member wherein the prongs are secured to the bottom of the vase in an improved and highly efficient manner which readily allows the placement of the prong member in position and its removal, while at the same time it is securely held against possibility of accidental detachment.

In the vases heretofore constructed, it has been common to rely upon the spring action of the wire prong member for holding it properly on the vase, but such wire prong members are apt to become distorted and fail to securely engage such vases.

A second important object of the invention is to provide a novel arrangement of prong member for such vases wherein provision is made in the vase for a spring clamping of part of the prong member between two bottom portions of the vase whereby, when assembled, the prong member is securely held and cannot be detached without the use of more force than would be produced by any accidental causes, the arrangement however being such that the prong mem her may be readily detached manually.

A third important object of the invention is to provide an improved bottom construction for such a vase.

With the above and other objects in View, as

5 0 will be hereinafter apparent, the invention consists in general of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and specifically claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, like characters of reference indicate like parts in the several views, and:

Figure l is a side elevation of the improved vase with the prongs attached thereto.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan viewv thereof.

Figure 3 is an enlarged detailed section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged detailed section on the line 4-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a plan view of the prong member 65. on a larger scale than Figure 1 and showing the same separated from the vase proper.

Figure 6' is a side elevation of this prong member.

In the embodiment of' the invention here shown, the vase proper is made of inverted frusto-conical form, having a side wall 10 and is open at the upper and larger end. The lower and smaller end of this vase is provided with a bead 11 wherein is held a double bottom con- 7Q sisting of an imperforate upper plate 12 having a peripheral flange 13 which fits within the bead 11, and a lower plate 14 likewise having a peripheral flange 15 which fits within the bead or flange of the upper plate. t is to be noted that 89. any desired construction of bead may be used to hold the side wall 10 and the flanges of the upper and lower plates together and that I am not to be restricted to the particular beading here shown in the present drawing. The metal of the lower plate is slit as at 16 and this slit defines one end of an elongated pocket 17 which is pressed down from the body of the lower plate 12 and which extends from the slit diametrically across the center of this plate and terminates in 9Q a rounded end 18. It will be noted that the pocket thus formed is in the form of a trough, closed at one end and open at the other, and that this pocket is also open at the top which is the side confronting the plate 12.

The wire used in forming the prong member is of slightly greater diameter than the normal space between the plate 12 and the bottom of the pocket 1'7. In the formation of the prong member a length of suitable wire is taken and is bent 19 intermediate its ends to form a semi-circular bend 19 and diverging arms 20, this part of the prong member being thus of substantial U-shape. From the ends of the arms 20 the wire is bent back in the same plane as the arms 2'0 and bend 1 19 to extend divergingly and outwardly at acute angles to the arms 20 as shown at 21. Legs 22 are bent downwardly from the plane of the remainder of the member at right angles thereto so as to lie parallel to each other. The bend 19 is of such diameter as to fit snugly in the pocket 1'? and the prong member is assembled on the vase proper by pushing the bend and the legs 20 into the pocket as indicated in Figure 2. The pocket 17 has parallel sides and because of this the legs 20 are sprung toward each other as the device is pushed into place. Furthermore, because of the fact that the wire is a little thicker than the depth of the pocket 17, the insertion of the wire causes a slight upward springing of the plate 12 so that the prong member is held in position not only by the springing of the legs 20 causing grip on the sides of the pocket but also by the clamping effect produced between the pocket and the plate 12 by the upward springing of said plate.

By means of this arrangement the prong member, when assembled with the vase proper, is very securely held but yet may be quite readily removed manually.

There has thus been provided a simple and efficient device of the kind described and for the purpose specified.

It is obvious that changes may be made in the form and construction of the invention without departing from the material principles thereof. It is not therefore desired to confine the invention to the exact form herein shown and described, but it is desired to include all such as properly come within the scope claimed.

What is claimed, is:

1. The combination with a vase having a bottom member provided with a channel-like pocket open at its top and one end and extending diametrically across a portion of the bottom; of a pronged supporting member having a tongue detachably engaged in said pocket and legs extending downwardly from the vase when the tongue is so engaged, said vase having a second bottom member which is imperforate and which normally rests on the first bottom member and covers the open top of the pocket, said tongue being of slightly greater thickness than the depth of the pocket whereby insertion of the tongue in the pocket causes springing of the two bottom members apart and effects clamping of the tongue between said bottom members.

2. The combination with a vase having a bottom member provided with a channel-like pocket open at its top and one end and extending diametrically across a portion of the bottom; of a pronged supporting member having a tongue detachably engaged in said pocket and legs extending downwardly from the vase when the tongue is so engaged, said supporting member being formed of a single length of wire and the tongue being formed centrally of said length to provide a semi-circular end and slightly diverging legs, the pocket having parallel sides to spring said legs inwardly upon engagement of the tongue therein, said vase having a second bottom member which is imperforate and which normally rests on the first bottom member and covers the open top of the pocket, said tongue being of slightly greaterthickness than the depth of the pocket whereby insertion of the tongue in the pocket causes springing of the two bottom members apart and efiects clamping of the tongue between said bottom members.

WILLIAM C. WINGER. 

